The Bassist and Guitarist thread

[Drago]

I'm starting to wonder what a typical action height is for a bass guitar?

I had a quick hunt around online and it seems to be a personal thing. Some players said that they like it (what seems to me) crazy low - around 2 mm. Others suggested 3 - 4 mm. Some even said 6+ mm.

My cheapo bass is about 5 mm from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the E string, down to 4 mm for the G string.

I don't know any better at this point, but so far that seems ok. Maybe I will experiment with the action when I know what I am doing!

Some folk have it stupidly low, but the tone sounds all wrong and it makes hammer-on's and pull-off's harder to execute.

It depends on neck relief, but I prefer a medium-to-low set up, maybe 3-4mm at rhe 12th fret.

 

[MontyVeda]

I’ve just started on learning an acoustic guitar, having borrowed a Tanglewood Crossroads, just getting to grips with the A & D chords, and changing between the two, so far so good progress wise, but blimey it makes your fingertips hurt!

That's why i put a standard set of electric guitar strings on my steel string acoustic... lighter gauge = less tension = less pain ...and beside all that, I think they sound nicer.

 

[DRM]

Thanks for the replies, according to the manufacturer website it’s fitted with bronze light strings
https://www.tanglewoodguitars.co.uk/product/twcrd/
This is a whole new learning curve, the strings are metal (steel?) and I’m guessing as in electrical wire the smaller the gauge number, the thinner it is, I think when they’re due for replacement I’ll get the lighter type, so how do you know when the strings have seen better days, are they difficult to tune, or is there some other indicator?
having looked I’ve seen on strings direct that Fender & D’addorio brands are around £6.00 a set, but what would be considered a decent make of strings?

 

[Cycleops]

Old strings tend to sound duller with age and don't quite have the 'snap' of new ones.
I use D'Addario almost exclusively on my guitar and bass, they are quality items. But so are Rotosound (British made), Ernie Ball and many other front line makes, not so sure about Fender.

 

[DRM]

Old strings tend to sound duller with age and don't quite have the 'snap' of new ones.
I use D'Addario almost exclusively on my guitar and bass, they are quality items. But so are Rotosound (British made), Ernie Ball and many other front line makes, not so sure about Fender.

Cheers for that, I suppose with my cloth ears it’s going to take a while for me to realise, they seem to be around £7.00 a pack so it’s not exactly going to break the bank to swap them for new ones

 

[DCBassman]

When I worked in a guitar shop, we would frequently restring acoustics with 11-gauge bronzewound strings. That bit lighter, still lots of oomph.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

As well as sounding dull, older strings will look grubby and dirty so when they're looking and sounding dull then it's probably time to change them. New strings are lovely and bright and they'll improve the sound of an acoustic.

On my acoustic I tend to use Martin or D'Addario. Ernie Ball, John Pearse and Rotosound have a good reputation too.

 

[Drago]

As well as sounding dull, older strings will look grubby and dirty...

Just how I like my women! 👍

 

[MontyVeda]

Personally I love the sound of old strings, especially on my classical.

On the very rare occasion I put new strings on... I literally sneer at the overtly 'bright' sound for a good few months until they've bedded in.

It's all down to what you like

 

[ColinJ]

Personally I love the sound of old strings, especially on my classical.

On the very rare occasion I put new strings on... I literally sneer at the overtly 'bright' sound for a good few months until they've bedded in.

It's all down to what you like

Hmm... I like new strings on my classical guitar, but the roundwound strings on my beginner's bass are too bright-sounding for my taste. I am getting round that by turning the tone control fully anti-clockwise. I'll get my money's worth out of these strings but replace them with flatwound at some future date.

PS I just discovered that is a 3rd type of bass string - tapewound. What does the team think of them?

 

[ColinJ]

While hunting around reading about strings, I found this video. I enjoyed it. Nice to see how the RotoSound company was started...



(Their YouTube channel has a lot of other videos which look like they might be interesting, but I have not watched any of those yet.)

 

[Drago]

Im not a tapewound man, except on my acoustic bass.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Personally I love the sound of old strings, especially on my classical.

On the very rare occasion I put new strings on... I literally sneer at the overtly 'bright' sound for a good few months until they've bedded in.

It's all down to what you like

Months?
Is that especially a nylon/ classical thing?
I do think you have a point on new strings being maybe a little too bright out of the packet but on phosphour bronze strings I think that softens in no more than about a week of play and they sound great. Strings need to bed in, absolutely.
As you say, it's all personal preference, but when I can literally see muck and skin debris on the E string and it's dark grey rather than bronze, and when I can't place when I last changed them, it's time to get a new set on. With me it's usually 4-6 months or so, can be less, can be more, depending on use.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Im not a tapewound man, except on my acoustic bass.

An acoustic bass? Pics please! 😊

 

[raleighnut]

Personally I love the sound of old strings, especially on my classical.

On the very rare occasion I put new strings on... I literally sneer at the overtly 'bright' sound for a good few months until they've bedded in.

It's all down to what you like

Nick Drake was a fan of 'Old' strings, gave a more 'mellow' sound to his guitar he thought.


View: https://youtu.be/0zcDkzdoA0E